Master of Education

Overview

Our Master of Education program serves as an opportunity to improve your teaching practice, solidify your understanding of educational theory, and advance to leadership roles in the educational sphere. A well-rounded, hands-on curriculum connects coursework to students’ teaching and work settings. And with four specialized tracks within this degree program, our students can truly hone in on their areas of interest and career aspirations.

Who It's For

This program is a place for educators to refine their craft, broaden their skills, and become more effective in their practice. Our students can dive in to one of four specializations: Adult Learning, Montessori credentials, Special Education, or TESL. It’s a big step toward the rest of your career.

Gain from a program that works with you. Experience small class sizes and accommodating schedules that support your success.

How Long It Takes

Most students finish the MEd. program in two years, but schedules can be adapted for a longer timeframe and can vary depending on which certificates, credentials, or endorsements are pursued.

Accreditation Employers Trust

Westminster's Montessori programs are all accredited by the leading Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education.

Licensure programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Other tracks are accredited by the Utah State Board of Education and/or the Northwest Accreditation Commission.

"After looking into other programs, I finally chose Westminster because the Montessori and Master of Education programs were so seamlessly integrated. It was an invaluable experience. What I learned academically was rigorous, informative, and practical. I made priceless connections professionally and personally that will last a lifetime."

Tina Wilmore, MEd., '16

About the Program

Fine-tune your instructional skills while enjoying the freedom and support to explore new methods and practices. You won’t just gain new understandings, frameworks, and skills, —you’ll emerge with greater confidence, collaboration, and self-awareness.

What You'll Learn

Our curriculum can be highly personalized around your own goals as an educator.

You can also select one of four educational tracks within the program, each of which prepares you thoroughly for a different specialization:

Adult Learning prepares you to teach in a corporate, higher education, or other adult environments.

Montessori credentials equip you with the skills and theory to work in a Montessori environment.

The Special Education license provides thorough strategies to teach these students effectively.

TESL sets educators up for success in teaching English to child and adult language learners.

Sample Courses

Instructional Design Foundations

This course introduces instructional design and educational technology. Students will learn the basics of instructional design, systematic design, multimedia learning, user-experience, and instructional design tools. Students will practice identifying and analyzing instructional need and will create instructional design documents.

Serious Games and Gamification

Gaming has become an important pathway for learning in a variety of formal and non-formal settings. In this course, students learn the difference between gamification, game-based learning, and learning games and how to use these formats effectively. Students connect learning theories to game design to enhance motivation and learning. Students make use of research on learning through gaming and design a game-based learning unit. Ethical issues involved in the field will be explored.

Assessment for English Learners

Students will apply content from the Methods and Content Area Instruction courses to develop a rationale for incorporating assessment as an intrinsic and ongoing aspect of the teaching/learning process. Students will learn ways to monitor student progress, place students appropriately, and design authentic assessment for elementary, secondary, and adult English language learners. Students will also explore policies and practices of standardized assessments commonly used to assess English language proficiency and academic language development within the context of U.S. public schools. Prerequisite: MEd.623.

Want to learn more about the Master of Education program?

A dedicated admissions counselor will reach out to you with personalized information to help with your search for the right program.

Career Opportunities

Our graduates are highly sought -after in a wide variety of positions and often receive multiple job offers.

Depending on the specialization, graduates quickly find work as a teacher within a local school, charter school, private school, nonprofit, business, or even in the entrepreneurial realm.

“The education I received was not just about learning ideas and concepts, it’s also about a way
of thinking. We are taught to look at different angles and perspectives, be reflective and
analytical but also be emotional and passionate around things we care about.”